A Reddit post recently sparked a wave of agreement and frustration after a healthcare worker reflected on how a $60,000 salary, once enough to build a stable life, now feels like barely scraping by.
From Middle Class To Meh
The original poster, who began their clinical career in 2013, described earning $55,000 to $65,000 per year in Michigan before the pandemic. “My 15-year mortgage was only $430 a month…I was feeling pretty damn impressed with myself for finally making it to the middle class and escaping poverty.”
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They continued, “60K salary has changed in past 6 years from a salary that rescued me from poverty and propelled me into middle class to now being considered like a crappy Joe Schmoe salary that everyone makes.”
After moving to California just before COVID-19 hit, their income doubled to $200,000 during the height of the pandemic, thanks to unlimited overtime. Even now, they say they earn around $160,000. “What blows me away is, had I stayed in Michigan, I would probably only be making like $70K right now and would be feeling pretty awful about that pay.”
Reddit users flooded the thread with their own stories and frustrations about how fast wages have fallen behind skyrocketing costs.
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Childcare, Housing And Bills Eat It All
Many focused on how much daily life costs have ballooned. One person joked, “I assumed [the $430 a month mortgage] was a typo. I pay 10X that number just for daycare every month.” Others shared mortgage payments of $4,000 or more, while a nurse said they pay $4,500 a month with $2,000 for daycare on top.
Several noted that even with high incomes, their money doesn’t stretch like it used to. “Somehow, when my salary was only $45K in 2020, I had significantly more savings and fun money,” one person wrote. Another added, “I make 134K and after taxes it feels meh.”
Commenters repeatedly pointed to inflation and stagnant wages as the core problem. “$60K today is worth about $47K in 2019,” one wrote. Another said, “Printing all that money during COVID was a disaster.”
“You are no longer competing with other home buyers,” one commenter added. “You are outbidding BlackRock when you buy.” BlackRock (NYSE:BLK) is one of the largest investment management firms in the world, known for purchasing large amounts of residential real estate through institutional funds.
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Not Just Location, But Generation
Though several people said $60K can still work in low-cost areas, many agreed that being born at the right time made a bigger difference. “It really is coming down to what decade you were born in deciding what kind of life you will get to live,” one said.
Some expressed disillusionment even after crossing the $100K mark. “$100K today is like making $75K in 2020… by 2030, you’ll need to be making $250K to keep up with what $100K was in the 2000s,” one Redditor wrote.
One healthcare worker summed it up: “Now I make double [what I used to] and it feels as if I have the same level of buying power.”
Even Six Figures Feels Tight
A nurse in Colorado shared that despite earning close to $200K during the pandemic, their income came with brutal hours and burnout: “The 1% make $200K… with overtime. It also destroys your body and soul.”
Others emphasized that high incomes in fields like nursing or the trades often require working unsustainable overtime, with little job security or long-term stability.
The thread made it evident that $60K hasn't just lost ground due to inflation, but the security and dignity it once represented.
“$60K isn’t a sustainable salary for an adult with real bills,” one commenter wrote. “Unless you’re fresh out of college or just starting your career.”
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